FORMER FA chairman David Bernstein described the latest FA reforms as a “wasted opportunity” despite them being signed off by sports minister Tracey Crouch.

The organisation had been threatened with funding cuts if they did not reform and yesterday proposals to shrink the board and include three women in a new 10-person structure by 2018 were passed by the FA’s shareholders without objection.

Eleven new FA councillors will be appointed in a move to increase diversity and on both bodies members will only be able to serve a maximum of three three-year terms.

But Bernstein, who led a group of five former executives in a bid to push for an FA that was more independent from the Premier League, claimed that after raising matters to the extent it was debated in the House of Commons, the “head of steam” had been allowed to dissipate.

“This was a one-off opportunity for radical change and today’s announcement is not radical enough,” he said.

GETTY

Sports minister Tracey Crouch signed off on the latest FA reforms

“Only outside intervention could have made a real difference because the turkeys were never going to vote for Christmas.

“I don’t think real change is going to happen for a long while now. The head of steam we had built up has gone and it will be decade at least before anything is done about it now.

“But I am not surprised the Government was happy to wash its hands of it – the announcement was something they could go along with and they have bigger concerns on their plates right now.”